Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 is now endemic in large parts of Indonesia and this situation has revealed, among other constraints, a lack of human resource capacity in many institutions especially in terms of understanding of, and experience in, the control of poultry diseases. Cost-efficient prevention and control of HPAI must be built on a sustainable poultry health programme that incorporates collaborative research and development activities involving the public and private sectors. The programme should provide appropriate education, communication and services to: all poultry producers, workers and traders; community animal health workers; field veterinarians, livestock officers and extension workers; and senior-decision makers at national, provincial and district levels. Lessons learnt in the production of effective education and communication materials that are readily accessible to each target audience are described.

The present review focuses on potential nutritional and physiological functions of betaine in relation to health, performance and carcass characteristics in poultry. Due to its zwitterionic structure, betaine has osmoprotective properties that aid in protecting intestinal cells and thus counteracting performance losses during heat stress and coccidiosis. Hence, betaine might be an appropriate agent in the prevention of heat stress in livestock. In addition, during coccidiosis, the efficacy of betaine appears to be related to the Eimeria species, type of coccidiostat used and the severity of infection. As this compound has methyl donor properties, betaine is involved in methylation reactions in the organism and may therefore partly substitute other methyl group donors such as methionine and choline. Due to its methyl donor and osmoprotectant functions, recent research has shown that betaine improves nutrient digestibility, growth performance and feed conversion in broiler chicks, turkeys and meat ducks. Other potential benefits of the inclusion of betaine in poultry diets are lowering carcass fat content and increasing breast meat yield which may be of interest to satisfy consumer needs.